corthell



(NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.Y

v P. H. CORTHBLL. DEVICE FOR SUSPENDING LAMPS.

No. 416,255. Y Patented Deo. 3, 1889.

wrrm-:ssss: "wem-on,

@17%. Ufff# f M Maw Atty.

N. Puras. Pnwnnnmnphm washing, n. c:

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet z.

P.: H. GORTHBLL. DEVICE FOR SUSPBNDING LAMPS.

No. 416,255. Patented Deo. l3, V1889.

. WITNESSES'E INVENTOR,

gm f7 @ww/ ya W 4W' Aww Parana. mmnnngnphe. wasmngm. nA

` NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FRED II. CORTHELL, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E.HUNTER, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR SUSPENDING LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming' partof Letters Patent No. 416,255, dated December3, 1889. Application tied August s1, 1889. serial No. 322,548. v (Nomodel.)

To all whom. it may concern:

vBe it known that I, FRED II. CORTHELL, a` resident of Elgin, in thecounty of Kane and`= State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Suspending Lamps; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to effect, through the balancing power ofa spring, the vertical adjustment of electric lamps which are suspendedby meansof flexible conduct.-

ors; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,fFigure l is a vertical central section ofthe novel device, taken lengthwise of the drum. Fig. 2 Vis a similarsection on lline 0c of Fig.l l. Fig. 3 is a plan of the device with thetop removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation and plan of thedrum and its frame, showing the position of the ratchet andretaining-pawl with reference thereto. Figs. 6, 7, S, 9, and l0 areviews of details and modifications.

Like letters refer to like partsin all the above figures. i

The construction includes an ornamental case of sheet metal in threeparts-wiz., the body a, the top a', and bottom CL2-having notches toallow the passage of the'lugs n n n'2 n3, whereby they are secured tothe body.

B is a frame secured by soldering or otherwise within the body a, asindicated at B, having the openings b and b to receive the journals ofthe drum-shaft O..

D is a drum, preferably of wood, having the transverse opening J for asuspending-cord, and c a spiral spring inclosed inthe metallicspring-box d and attached'thereto and to the drum by means of thespring-hook r.

C indicates a drum-shaft having the ratchet f firmly fixed thereto, andg a winding-lever loosely fitted thereon and movable between the saidratchet f and the frame and carrying the vwinding-pawl 7L.

is a retaining-pawl that holds the ratchet- 5o drum shaft and springwhile the Windingpawl is moving forward to engage an advanced tooth. Itcan be tripped by lever z' denotes a hook engaging its spring at itsinner end or at the center of the coil and connecting it to the shaft.The screws k and lo engage the drum-shaft orstationary vaxis C, formingextensions thereof, and facilitate the putting together of the parts.

The following is a description of the method of putting the deviceinroperation, reference being had to Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5: The lampbeing disconnected, its suspending-cord is passed through the opening Iyin the case, and thence through the opening j in the drum D, and thenceout of the case through the opening y. The lamp is now connected to thecord and the adjusting device placed in the desired position on the sameand the lower portion of the case a2 disconnected from the body a. Thisis effected by turning the part a2 until the lugs n and n will pass itsnotches. The bottom a2 can thenbe slipped down on the cord far enough toallow the windinglever gto be operated to move the notched drum-shaft bymeans of the pawl 7l, whereby is put upon the springe the tensionrequired to balance the lamp within the limits desired. After thesp1-ing is wound, Vas above stated, the bottomof the case is replacedupon the body and the device is ready for use. It will of course beunderstood that the turning by means of the lever g and pawl h of theratchet Afixed to the drum-shaft increases the tension of the spring orwinds it up, one end of the spring being xed by pin or hook r to thedrum, which is held from rotation by the cord that passes throughopening j, except so far as the cord is wound upon thedrum, and theother end to the shaft O by the hook or pin t'. The spring, when thuswound up, counterbalances or aids in counterbalancing the lamp by itseffect upon the suspending-cord 4through the medium of the drum. Thepassage of the suspendingcord through the drum provides that it may besituated in or near the axis of the case.

The case may be made of. any desirable contour and variouslyornalnented, and may be made in two parts instead of three, and theparts may be connected by other devices than those described. The part amay in some cases be omitted, or parts a and a might IOO be madeintegral with each other, and other portions of the device may be variedby mechanical skill wit-hout departing from the invention.

In Figs. G and 7 is shown a supplementary device, which can be used, ifdesired, consisting of the centrifugal pawls v r', pivoted at t to thedrum and adapted to engage the ratchet 0,1ixed to frame B. These pawlsare similar in mechanical operation to Wellknown curtain-xtmes, andserve to hold the drum and lamp when the latter has been placed in therequired position, and are especially applicable in case that it isdesired that the spring shall constantly more than balance the lamp.

The operation of the spring c may, .if desired, be aided by a secondspring p, as indicated in Figs. and 10. (l is a box inclosing the same,and s a tubular extension or shaft iixed to said box q, and to thistubular shaft s spring c is connected by the pin or hook t'. The springp is also connected at one end to box q and at the other to the shaft C.The turning of the shaft to increase the tension of the spring c will,through the medium of the latter, turn the sleeve or shaft s and box q,and thus increase the tension of the spring j) also, and in operationthe latter spring will aid the former, and thus increase or widen thelimits of an approximately uniform tension of the springs The caseherein described, which may be made of any suitable material, is notessential to the operation, nor is the particular frame. If the easewere wholly omitted, the device could yet be used to apply the tensionol' the spring to a suspending oord, chain, wire, or equivalent, and thespring will tend to turn the drum about the shaft, and will thereforetend to lift the cord independently of the case or the special form ofthe'frame. Should the drinn not be held during the operation of Windingthe spring, it is evident that at least a portion of the cord would.itself become Wound upon the drum, and thus it is apparent that tensionmay be put upon the spring by winding a surplus of cord upon the drinn,and then unwinding that surplus by pulling upon the cord, the drum-shaftbeing held from rotation. Likewise various mechanisms operating to turnthe drum-shaft could be substituted by mechanics without sacrificing theadvantage of the improvement.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is l. In a suspendingdevice, the combination i of thesuspending-cord, the drum mounted loosely on a shaft and provided withatransverse opening to receive said cord and adj ustable thereon, and aspring having one end attached to the drum and the other to the shaft,and mechanism for turning the shaft to `give tension to the spring,substantially as set forth.

2. In a suspending device, the combination of the suspending-cordmounted loosely on a shaft, and the drinn provided with a transverseopening to receive said cord and adjustable thereon, and a spring havingone end attached to the drum and the other to the shaft, andv mechanismfor turning the shaft to give tension to the spring, and aninelosing-case, also adjustable on the cord, substantially as set forth.

3. In a suspending device, the combination of the suspemling-cordmounted loosely on a shaft, the drum provided with a transverse openingto receive said cord and adjustable thereon, and a spring having one endattached to the drum andthe other to the shaft, and mechanism forturning the shaft to give tension to the spring, and an inclosing-case,also adjustable on the cord and having. a part or section madedetachable to give access to the mechanism, substantially as set forth.i

Al. In asuspending device, the combination of the suspending-cordmounted loosely on a shaft, and the drum provided with a transverseopening to receive said cord and adjustable thereon, and a spring having oneend attached to the drum and the other to the shaft, and mechanismfor turning the shaft to give tension to the spring, and thesupplementary spring, substantially as set forth.

5. In a suspending device, the combination of the suspelnling-coidmounted loosely on a shaft, and the drum provided with a transverseopening to receive said cord and ad j ustable thereon, and a springhaving one end attached to the drinn and the other to the shaft, andmechanism for turning the shaft to give tension to the spring, and thecentrifugal pawls pivotcd on the drum, and the ratchet connected to theshaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specihcation in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

FRED II. CORTIIELL.

\Vitnesses:

ino. E. HUNTER, GaAs. P. Comas.

IOS

It is hereby eertiied that in Letters Patent No. 416,255, grantedDecember 3, 1889, upon the application of Fred. H'. Corthell, of' Elgin,Illinois, for an improyement in Device@` for suspending Lamps, errorsappear in the printed specification requiring correetiornes followsi Inlines 68, 78, 90, and 99 the Words the drum should be stricken out, Andinserted after the Words suspending-cord in lines 67, 77, 89, and 98,respectively; and the said Letters Patent should. be read witl1-thesecorrections therein that the saine may conform to the record 0f the easein the Patent Ofee.

Signed, counter-signed and sealed this 24th day of December, A. D. i889.

i [EAL] CYRUS BUSSEY,"

Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned:

C. E. MITCHELL,

Commissioner of Patents.

